Life In The Timberlands
by DizzyMoonDragon
Summary: *My OC for HTTYD*An origin story of Scout, telling of her life in the Timberlands.
1. Chapter 1: The Birth

Chapter 1: The Birth

Everyone in the Timberlands were excited. Everyone was gathering food, chattering among themselves. The people's chief, Torx the Trusting, and his beautiful wife Belna were expecting their child sometime in the next few days. The older women made clothes for the child, just a few simple long shirts until they knew the sex of the child, then they would make pants or dresses for the little one.

Torx smiled as he looked out of the window of his hut, watching people smiling. He had sworn when he took over from his father he would make sure the people were happy and healthy, and he would do the same with his child. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see his wife. Her belly was swollen, but she had a huge smile on her face. Her blue eyes fixed on her husband's, and she stepped up to him, taking his hand.

"Not long now I suspect" she said, placing her other hand on her belly. She looked at him and he felt a rush of love for her, and for the life she carried inside her.

"I suspect not, you're almost the size of a yak" he joked, and they laughed. Suddenly she gasped and clutched her stomach. His smile dropped as he held her. She laughed weakly to reassure him.

"It's alright, they're just a little fighter" she said, and Torx placed his hand on her belly to feel the child kick. He smiled again, but she gasped again.

"On second thoughts, I may need you to fetch Ila, I don't think they're going to wait" she said, breathing heavily and clutching her stomach. Torx took off for the door, turning in time to see her close her eyes and breathe through the pain. He ran to get the mid-wife.

The sun was starting to go down, and Torx was pacing outside his hut. Inside he could hear the mid-wife reassuring Belna, and now and then Belna's screams would pierce his mind, and he wished there was something he could do. Other fathers' in the village reassured him, telling him all would be well when the child came. Torx nodded, only half-listened. He knew he could easily lose his love or their child, or both, and he wasn't sure if he could handle that. But he refused to believe that was possible, and it was this fierce determination that had kept him focused the last 8 months, this determination that their hut would be safe and secure for the child, that the village would be safe from harm. He had faith in his people to care for the child if he did not return from his trips to other islands, and he had faith in the Gods that the child would be born healthy. His worries escalated as Belna gave a final yell and all fell silent. No-one moved, and Torx froze in his pacing. His blonde beard lifted slightly in the wind, and the door of the hut opened.

Ila stepped out, wiping her hands on a cloth with a smile on her face.

"Both are well" she said, and those 3 words lifted the fear and worry from Torx's heart and mind, and he run forward. He stopped before the door and turned to Ila.

"Thank you" he said, and she nodded.

He ran into the house and up the stairs to the bedroom. Belna was sitting upright in the bed, holding a bundle of cloth. Her dark hair fanned out around her, and her blue eyes locked with his. She smiled tiredly, and his heart swelled. He moved slowly to her on the bed, and sat near her. The child was wrapped against the cold in the room with a thick blanket, and he moved it to see the child's face.

Everything about the child in the blanket was perfect. The soft blonde hairs that covered the child's hair like fluff, and the little nose on the child's face. The child breathed quietly and he smiled.

"A little girl" Belna whispered quietly, resting her head on her husband's shoulder. His smile grew wider.

"I know you wanted a son…." Belna said, and Torx shook his head.

"She's a fighter already, and I always said I never minded as long as they were healthy" he said, still looking at the life in his wife's arms. The baby gurgled and opened her eyes. Her big blue eyes. She locked them on her father and made another gurgling sound, and reach down to gently touch her face.

The baby's eyes closed at his touch and she turned her head into her father's hand. His heart felt it would explode.

"She will find a way to keep our village safe as a chief, and as Lady of the Timberlands" he said, using his wife's title. Belna smiled sleepily.

"She will" he said, re-enforcing his beliefs.

"Scout" Belna said quietly, and Torx turned his head.

"Scout will be a good name. It means 'one who discovers'. Ila and I spoke about names earlier" Belna explained. When Torx didn't respond, Belna asked if he liked the name.

"Scout will be perfect" he said.


	2. Chapter 2: 5 Years Old

Chapter 2: 5 Years Old

"I'm going to find you" Torx bellowed, creeping across the forest floor. He peeked around trees and bushes, and he still couldn't find his daughter. She was good at this game, at hiding when she didn't want to be found. He could hear her giggling which only spurred him on. As her giggling grew louder, he held out his hands ready to catch her before she ran. He came to a stop in front of a large tree, and her laughter was so loud he knew she had to be on the other side of the trunk.

Torx leapt around the side of the tree, reaching out with hands to grab thin air. He frowned slightly, and the giggles started again, but this time they were _above _him. He lifted his face and he saw a cheeky grin.

"How did you get up there then?" he asked, and Scout giggled again, clapping her hands. She smiled at her father, perched on a low branch of the tree, hidden by the leaves. He laughed with her and reached his arms up to her. She scooted off the branch and he caught her, holding her close. Scout snuggled her head under her father's chin, and for a moment they stayed like that. Then Scout began squirming and he set her down, smiling still. She wandered over to a nearby pool and sat down, splashing in the clear water. He joined her, and began to point at objects to get her to name them.

"Tree" she said, as he picked up a branch.

"Branch" he said, and she frowned.

"It's part of a tree. A branch falls off a tree" he explained, and still she frowned.

"No, tree" she said, pointing at the branch, and he shook his head.

"A branch makes a tree, but a branch isn't a tree" he said, and she looked at the branch. She reached for it and he let her take it. She looked at it, then looked at her father.

"Branch?" she said, and he smiled.

"Yes, branch" he answered, and her face lit up. She set the branch down next to her and played with the water again. They stayed there for a while longer, Torx watching his daughter play, her blue eyes fixed on the ripples in the water, the breeze lifting her short blonde hair. She was a beautiful child, and she was intelligent. She would be a good leader, a good chief. Torx knew it in his heart.

When Scout's head started to dip, Torx knew it was time to head back to the village. He scooped her up, and as he turned she cried out. He looked down at her in alarm, and saw she was pointing.

"Branch" she said, and he turned and picked it up, handing it to her. She smiled and leaned close into her father's broad chest. He smiled and they walked back to the village.

When they arrived at the village, the villagers smiled and waved at them, but Scout was paying too much attention to the branch, ignoring everyone else. As they got close to their hut, Torx saw the silhouette of his wife in the window, and his heart thumped. He loved his wife as much now as he had when they married, and to him his life was complete. He opened the door and set Scout down, who ran to her mother. Belna turned at the sound of the footsteps, and she smiled, catching her daughter as she ran to her. She raised her in the hair, and Torx watched them both as they span and laughed. Scout held the branch out to her mother.

"Branch" she said proudly, and Belna nodded.

"That is a fine branch darling" she said, and Scout nodded.

"Daddy picked it" she said, using it to point at her father, who smiled.

Belna nodded, and set her daughter down in her chair, turning back to get their dinner from the counter. She set the bowls around the table and while they ate they shared stories about their day. Scout told her mother how Torx had fought a massive dragon off that had chased her up a tree, and how he'd used a branch to fight it off. Belna gasped at the right parts, and this encouraged Scout, who kept adding new characters into the story to impress her mother. Concluding her story, she sat back, and fixed her eyes on her father.

"Daddy is a hero" she said smiling, her little feet kicking in the air.

Torx's heart lifted, and he smiled at her.

"He is" Belna added, smiling at her husband.

Torx reached for his wife's hand and kissed her cheek, much to Scout's displeasure. She made a disgusted noise and yawned.

"Ah, time for the little lady to go to bed" Belna said, rising from her chair.

Scout shook her head, but yawned again. Belna laughed and picked up her daughter, who still clutched the branch in her chubby hands. She waved at Torx to say goodnight, and he waved back.

When his wife and daughter had disappeared from sight, he collected the bowls and set them aside. He looked out the window, the same one he had looked out of the day Scout arrived, and took in the sight of his village. Hearing his people laughing and talking with each other made it easier for him to get out of bed each day. He did every day for his village, his people and his family. For them, he would rise.


	3. Chapter 3: 9 Years Old

Chapter 3: 9 Years Old

"Dad look!" Torx heard Scout shout, and he turned, already smiling, though it was strained. Scout ran to him, clutching a paper to her chest. She thrust it out to him, blue eyes wide. Torx gently took the paper and saw drawn onto it in mud was a perfect image of a leaf. Somehow she had manage to capture the texture and the veins in her picture, and Torx looked from the picture to her in awe. She was gently biting her lower lip while she waited for his opinion, so he smiled.

"It's lovely sweetheart." he said, handing her back the paper and turning his attention back to his men. They were constructing new huts as their village was expanding, and they needed to clear some trees. His back was still turned so he didn't see Scout's face fall. He only turned when he heard her start to cry.

"Scout-" he started, reaching out to touch her face, but she moved aside.

"No!" she said, spinning away and running off. Torx's heart sank, and he lowered his head. The past few weeks had not been easy on any of them. Since the months were beginning to grow cold, he needed to build more shelters, and find more food for this people. Belna was busy with healing the sick and elderly, and helping nurse the new infants who'd arrived in time for their first winter. The only time they spent together now was at dinner, and they didn't have many happy things to talk about anymore.

He told himself that Scout would come back, she always did before the sun set.

The men were scurrying around the forest floor, welding torches against the shadows. The sun had set long ago, and Scout had not returned. Torx led his men through the forest, moving quickly, his heart pounding quickly in his chest. He could not bear the loss of another child.

The men tore through the forest, slowly but steadily approaching the caves that lined the shore, and the tide was still out. But Torx knew in a few hours it would come back in, and if Scout was in there she wouldn't be found.

He sent men off in groups to search the coves, himself taking the largest cavern with 3 other men. They walked in a line, Torx slightly in front, moving their torches in front of them to see. Something up ahead caught the light. As he walked closer, a crunching sound passed over the rocks in front of him. He froze, his men also hearing the noise. He took his axe from his belt and prepare to swing.

With a loud war cry, he finished the last few steps to the back of the cavern and was greeted with a scream. He paused, axe in the air, torch in front of him. Scout's blue eyes were large and bloodshot, and she clutched something in her hand. Her eyes were still wide as they stared at him, and slowly he lowered his axe.

"Tell the men I found her." he said, and one of the men ran off. He knelt down on front of Scout, who shrunk into herself, looking away from him.

"Scout?" he said quietly, and waited until she looked at him. She peeked out at him, her hair falling into her eyes.

"What have you got there?" he asked, holding out his hand. She hesitated.

"I found it." she whispered, before dropping it into his hand.

The weight surprised him, but when he shone his torch on it he was more surprised. It looked and felt like a stone, but chips within it flashed in the torchlight, and he prayed to the Gods it wasn't a dragons' egg.

"Where did you find this?" he asked, and Scout gestured around them. Torx looked up, and his eyes widened. His men, who had filed into the cave, gasped. The entire cave flashed colours in the multiple lights. Twinkles of reds and greens and blues winked at them, and Torx looked at his daughter.

"How did you find this place?" he said, and she shrugged, reaching for her stone. He let her take it, and watched her turn it in her hands.

"I wanted somewhere to hide, and I found this place. Sora showed me." she said matter-of-factly. He nodded, knowing full well that Sora was just an imaginary friend.

"Sora knew where it was, huh?" he said, and she nodded again. Torx watched his daughter a moment more, before one of his men interrupted.

"Chief? We should probably head back before the tide comes back." he said, and the others murmured in agreement, a few even glancing out the cave mouth. Torx nodded and reached for Scout. She stood, not looking away from the stone, but she took her father's hand, and they headed back to the village.

Belna came tearing out of their hut, crying and yelling as she grabbed their daughter and held her close. They stayed that way, Belna holding her child close, Scout trying to hold her stone away from herself. Then Belna focused.

"Scout! You had your father and I so worried! Don't you ever run off like that again! I-" she said, but froze when she saw the stone.

"Where did you find that?" Belna whispered, and Scout pointed into the forest.

"In the caves where Sora lives." she said, nodding the whole while. Belna frowned.

"May I see it?" she asked, and Scout showed her.

"It's very pretty." Belna said, and Scout smiled proudly.

"There were lots of them. Dad could use them to buy food." she said, turning to her father, who had stepped back. Torx ran a hand through his beard and nodded.

"We'll have to be careful when we collect them, we don't want to get washed out to sea." he said, stepping forward and tickling his daughter, who laughed and ran inside.

"Thank you for finding her." Torx thanked his men, who all nodded and slowly returned to their homes.

"I'm not sure about those stones." Belna said, frowning still.

"I've never seen or heard about them. Could they be a bad omen?" she asked, fixing Torx with a serious glance.

"I think you're worrying too much. What harm can come from stones?" he said. He didn't realise he'd be so wrong.


	4. Chapter 4: 13 Years Old

Chapter 4: 13 Years Old

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Torx yelled through the bars at his daughter. She was facing off against a boy her age, Bard the Brave. She was doing well, she knew how to handle her halberd, and she was showing it. Scout swung around, her ponytail following her spin as she angled the blade to hit Bard, but he blocked it with his axe.

Scout span again, and Bard only just blocked it, taking a few steps back. Scout used this to her advantage and moved in, kicking him in the chest and knocking him down. She kicked his shield away and pinned down his axe-arm with her other foot, and held her halberd blade near his throat. For a moment everyone froze, and then the forest floor erupted in applause and cheers. Scout smiled proudly and pulled Bard to his feet. Both teens were almost the same height and avoided each other's eyes, but when Bard held out his hand Scout blushed before shaking it. She ran quickly over to her father, who clapped her on the back.

"Ah, you are a fine fighter my girl. I'm glad you got something off me." Torx laughed, stroking his beard that was becoming more silver than blonde.

"It was fun!" Scout said, her cheek red from the exercise. But Torx saw her glance over at Bard, and when Bard smiled and nodded at her he watched her cheeks grow redder. She began to play with the handle of her halberd, which used to be her grandfather's. Torx had never possessed the skills to handle such a weapon, but Scout was quick and light on her feet. They were a fine pair. Scout had tweaked it of course, balancing it so it made perfectly for her and no other.

Torx put his arm around Scout's shoulder and they began walking back to their hut, re-enacting some of Scout's movements, and Torx was going through some advice when his head guard ran over to them.

"Torx, there's a boat just come in. A group of traders." He said, and Torx raised his eyebrows in interest.

"Not many boats pass this way" he said slowly, and he shook his head.

"They must have gotten lost hey?" he said, a deep laugh shaking his chest. Torx moved to follow his head guard, but turned to face Scout.

"Go and tell your mother would you? She might want more material for your dresses" he said, knowing full-well Scout hated dresses. Playing true to this fact, Scout pulled a face but walked to their hut alone.

The village had all come out to greet the traders, but Scout was uneasy. The boy couldn't have been much older than she was, maybe 3 or more years, but he was being told what to say by a man wielding a crossbow. The boy had cold eyes, and when he smiled it never reached his eyes. His dark hair was pulled back and was matted. Scout had seen few other traders, but she knew this was strange. Others were whispering, but as the daughter of the chief she had to be polite to the outsiders.

Torx took the opportunity to speak to the traders about their goods.

"Plenty of weapons, newly forged or family heirlooms" the crossbow wielder said, and the boy nodded.

"Yes plenty. And silks" he added, nodding towards a group of women who whispered about new shirts. The boy caught Scout's eye and smiled, but the smile made Scout feel cold, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

"I'm sure we'd be able to come to some arrangement? I'll see what you have, and if I have no interest we can part ways?" Torx said gently, and the boy looked back at him.

"That sounds fair, but it would seem we've run low on food. Perhaps we can trade for supplies if we have no trinkets you find valuable?" he said, and the crossbow man smiled.

Torx thought for a moment, and then nodded.

The boy led the way back to the ship, and Scout stayed behind. When she got back to their hut, she entered her room. Scout pulled out a small engraved box and removed the stone. It was the same stone she had found in the cove 4 years earlier. Her father had let her keep it, and since then they had removed most of the stones. Not all of them, they were being given out as mostly gifts. Scout turned the stone, its colours glinting in the sun. She placed the stone back in its box, and hid it in the emptied out slot in the floor plank. Until the men had left she'd keep it hidden. She couldn't place it but she didn't trust something about them.

She decided to go past the smithy to sharpen her halberd blade. She thought it would be safer.

Torx had found a beautiful deep red silk and bought it back into the village for Belna. She took one look at it and gasped.

"Torx, it's beautiful." She said, running the material through her fingers. Torx beamed.

"I'd hoped you'd like it. I didn't find anything else." he said, and turned to Scout.

"Sorry I didn't find you anything-" he started, but stopped when he saw her face.

"Scout? What's wrong child?" he asked, dropping to his knee to sit in front of her. She had a small frown on her face, and she looked at her father with concern.

"I don't trust them." she said quietly, and Torx sighed inwardly. He had expected this, her having only grown up with the people already on the island, she wasn't used to guests.

"Scout, they're just here to trade-" he said, but Belna cut him off.

"What did you trade him for this?" she asked, and he turned his head slightly.

"A meal and rest for a night." he said, not meeting her eye. Belna pressed him.

"Just that for this silk? I doubt it" she said, fixing her husband with the same expression as Scout.

"That's all." he said, still not looking at her.

"Torx." Belna said, with a warning in her tone.

Torx sighed.

"I was going to take them to the cave." he said, and Scout gasped.

"You can't!" she blurted, and her parents looked at her.

"Scout? What's wrong?" Belna asked, placing the silk on the table. Scout looked embarrassed.

"I just have a bad feeling." She said, kicking her legs gently to touch the floor.

"It's alright Scout dear." Belna said.

"They're just traders, not pirates." Torx said, rolling his eyes. Scout turned redder.

"I'm not saying they _are, _I just don't think we should tell strangers about the cave." She said quickly, and her parents looked at each other.

"How about I just give them the stone then? And don't show them the cave?" Torx said, and Scout thought.

"I guess so…" she said.

"I still have a bad feeling." She said quietly, but her father had already left the hut, and her mother was too busy admiring the silk. She had a very bad feeling.


	5. Chapter 5: 13 Years Old-Part 2

Chapter 5: 13 Years Old-Part 2

Torx decided to go to the cave alone. He needed to remove a stone, but taking men with him would have alerted the traders, and he wanted to make Scout feel better.

He entered the cave, torch in one hand, axe in another, and walked to the back. This was where most of the stones could still be found. He raised the handle of his axe to knock one out of its place when he heard some rocks skitter across the cave floor. Torx whirled immediately, spinning the axe until it was the right way up as he span. He pointed the torch towards the mouth of the cave, but he couldn't see anything. He remained in that position for a few more minutes, but when nothing moved he turned back around slowly. Turning the axe back around, Torx worked it between the stone and its hole, and it popped out. They had learnt this trick early on, that the stones weren't really stones, and could change shape under pressure. He had never heard of such a stone, but they had no other name for it.

Torx placed it in the small bag he had bought with him, and decided to head back to the village.

Torx entered the hall, and was greeted by fellow villagers who had purchased items from the traders. Most of them only had their weapons to trade, but they could easily make more. He approached the tables where the traders were seated.

"Torx!" the youngest one said, leaning forward. Torx smiled and stepped closer.

"My wife loved the silk I bought off you." he said, and the boy smiled wilder. Torx wasn't sure about his smile, but let it go.

"I thought she would. She has good taste, after all she married you." The boy said, and his men laughed. Torx left a smile on his face and placed a hand over his bag.

"I realise that food and a place to sleep isn't the best way to pay you-" he started, but the crossbow man raised his hand.

"You have something else to trade?" he said, and Torx's breath caught in his throat. How could this man have guessed?

"I do actually." Torx said, and while he had the men's attention, he removed the stone from his bag. The men's eyes widened and the boys' jaw dropped. He reached out for it and Torx placed it in his hand. He watched them look it over, turning it and listening to their gasps as it caught the light in the hall. The boy looked up at him in awe.

"What is this?" he asked, and Torx shrugged.

"To be honest lad we're not too sure, but isn't it a fine jewel?" he said, and the boy nodded slowly.

"Is that a fairer trade? Food, sleep and this stone?" he asked, and the boy nodded again. Torx stuck his chest out.

"Very well then. Shall I show you to your cabin?" he asked, and the man with the crossbow whispered something in the boy's ear.

The boy shook his head.

"No, thank you. This stone has paid us back well. My first man here has just reminded me that we have another delivery to make, and it is best that we leave now." he said, and Torx frowned slightly.

"You can't possibly leave now. It's dark out now-" he said, but the boy and his men were already rising.

"That is true." the boy said, stopping to think.

"But we really must make this delivery. It's quite urgent. Perhaps, instead, if you could spare some more food for our journey? It's a good few days sail." the boy said, and Torx nodded. He signalled some men to come over and asked them to take some barrels of fish and berries to the dock, and the men followed some of the boys' out. The crossbow man wandered over to Torx.

"Say, where did you find those stones?" he asked, and Torx's stomach churned. Up close the man smelled old, like he hadn't left the ship in years. Torx felt reluctant to tell him, and told him so.

"I'm afraid it's a bit of an island secret." he said, tapping the side of his nose and chuckling. The man didn't laugh. He just nodded and walked away.

The boy walked up to Torx, and held out his hand.

"Thank you chief Torx, for your hospitality." he said, and Torx shook his hand, even though the look in the boys' eyes froze his blood.

"No need to worry, that's what we do here in the Timberlands. Take care of our guests." he said, and he removed his bag and handed it to the boy.

"To keep it safe." he said, and the boy slipped the stone into it. The boy started to walk away when Torx called out.

"What's your name son?" he said, and the boy glanced over his shoulder.

"Alrek." he said, and then he was gone.

The next day passed as usual. The blacksmith was slowly making everyone who had traded their weapons new ones, and Scout kept asking if Torx was sure he didn't tell them about the stones locations, and he began getting annoyed.

"Scout, for the last time I told them it was a secret." He snapped, and Scout's eyes widened slightly.

"I just wanted to be sure" she said, and he sighed.

"I know." He said gently, and reached out for her. She moved closer to him and leaned on her father.

"Will we be safe?" she asked, and Torx frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked, and she looked at him, her blue eyes wide.

"I didn't trust that boy." She said quietly.

"Alrek." Her father said, and she blinked at him.

"His name was Alrek." He said, and she nodded.

They spent the day gathering firewood, resting it against their hut.

That evening, Torx lay in bed next to his wife thinking over his daughters words.

_I didn't trust that boy._

_I have a bad feeling._

He shrugged it off, knowing young children could feel insecure. He fell asleep and was sleeping peacefully until a smell entered his noise. His eyes snapped open and he looked around the hut. He knew that smell. He had grown up around it, he had loved laughing around one, and he had lit one earlier.

_Fire._

Torx grabbed his wife, who screamed as the side of their hut caught alight. Torx pushed her gently towards the stairs and she ran down, him closed behind. He ran to the side room and grabbed a still sleeping Scout from her bed and ran out the door.

Outside was chaos.

_Everything was burning._

People were screaming, running out of their homes. Men were grabbing buckets and trying to put out the flames to no avail. And Torx saw him.

Standing in the centre of the town, not moving. Completely still.

Slowly, Alrek turned around, a wide, taunting smile on his lips.

"Now, chief, tell me where these stones are." He said.


	6. Chapter 6: 13 Years Old-Part 3

Chapter 6: 13 Years Old, Part 3

Torx faced Alrek with a stare that would stop most men in their tracks, but Alrek still smiled back.

"Come on chief, don't make me burn down your whole town." Alrek taunted.

Torx glanced down at his arms at his now awake daughter. Her eyes were wide and they were welling up with tears as she looked around her home. Torx felt his heart break at the devastation in his daughter's eyes, and a hot feeling came over him. He lowered his daughter to the ground and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Scout, I need you to go with your mother and the other children into the forest now." He said, and she shook her head, her bed-matted hair twirling.

"Dad, don't." She said, grabbing his arms as he walked towards Alrek. He stopped, and without looking at her spoke.

"Scout, please do what I say." He said, turning to her. Something in his expression caught Scout's eye, and she let go of his arm, tears spilling from her eyes. Belna ran to her daughter and scooped her into her arms. Torx reached out and touched his wife's face.

"Be careful Torx" she whispered, and he nodded. Belna ran into the forest with Scout, who had begun screaming. Torx fought to block it out, grabbing a nearby axe from the ground. He walked towards Alrek, numbness flowing through his veins. Alrek smiled wider.

"Going to show me where the stones are now old man?" He sneered, and Torx swung the axe. The boy's eyes widened as he ducked. Torx roared, a sound that echoed through the village. The boy turned, eyes wide as Torx's men abandoned buckets of water to grab whatever weapons they could find. Alrek's men emerge from between the huts, torches in hand. The men threw their torches onto already burning houses, and pulled their weapons out. The two groups of men faced each other, women and other children running towards the forest.

Torx yelled again, and his men ran forward. Just as Torx reached the boy, the man with the crossbow stepped in front and blocked Torx's swing. The two fought, and Torx swung his axe at the man, the blade catching the shoulder strap of his bag. The bag fell to the ground, and one of their stones rolled out. It glinted in the firelight, and both men froze.

_The noise in the cave._

He had been followed. Scout had been right not to trust him, and he was a fool for not believing her. Already at such a young age she was intuitive, and he had ignored her. Torx swung again, and was blocked, the man trying to load his crossbow as he blocked the boy from Torx's rage. Another man grabbed Torx's arm as he prepared to swing, and another grabbed the axe from his hand.

The crossbow man wielded his weapon, pointing it at Torx.

"You won't treat my master in such a way." He sneered, and raised the weapon to eye. That's when they heard the yell.

"DAD!" Scout screamed, breaking through the tree line. Torx's heart pounded.

"Scout, stay back!" but the girl was too close to the man to stop, and he whirled, his crossbow finding a new target. Scout's eyes widened, and she came to a halt, skidding. The man lowered his weapon slightly, and she used the chance to run between some houses. The man growled and moved to follow her, and Torx fought against the men holding him back. He managed to knock his head into one of the other men's heads, whose grip loosened slightly. Torx was then able to shove his aside and throw the other man. He ran towards the man with the crossbow and was almost behind him when he heard a scream.

_Scout._

They all looked up and saw a huge dragon carrying her. It was a Hideous Nightmare and was the colour of the night sky. The boy and his men stopped to laugh at the girl. Torx heard more yelling and saw Belna run from the trees, her panicked eyes catching sight of her daughter in the dragons' claws. She screamed and ran towards her daughter, who was trying to remove the dragons' claws. Torx picked up his axe and threw it with all his might but still missed the dragon. It roared and began to fly higher. Torx ran forward and hit the crossbow man from behind. As the man fell, Torx snatched the weapon from his hand and aimed it for the dragon. He fired and the bolt hit the dragons' ankle. It roared again, this time dropping Scout. She screamed but landed softly on a bed of grass. Torx felt himself able to breathe for a moment, until he saw Scout's bed-coat had caught a light at the end, and the girl was yelling. She tried to beat the flames out, and her parents ran towards her.

They didn't see it coming.

There was a loud noise, and a massive fireball hit the ground between parents and daughter. Everything glowed red, then turned black.


	7. Chapter 7: Aftershock

Chapter 7: Aftershock

Slowly Scout's eyes opened, ash falling softly onto her cheek. She blinked her eyes a few times, her right ear filled with a high-pitched noise. For a few moments she just lay there, staring at the sky. When her stomach had settled, she closed her eyes and sat up slowly. She stayed like that, scared to open her eyes, scared of what she'd see. She opened her eyes, and immediately shut them.

Everything was gone.

The huts had been burned to the ground. Trees in the surrounding area were either burnt or had fallen down. Slowly, Scout lowered her head and opened her eyes again, looking at her hands. They were covered in ash and dirt and some scratches from trying to free herself from the dragon, and running through the forest. Her hands shook slightly as she turned them over, inspecting every wound. She let her eyes travelled up her arms, focusing on her body. The rest of her was dirtied and sore, and she reached up to her face. Sticky liquid had run out of her ear, but it was too dark to tell what it was. The noise had gone away, and instead was replaced with a blocked sensation that she couldn't hear out of. Her eyes started to fill with tears, and she tried to blink them away. She lowered her hands to her neck, near where the dragon had grabbed her. Scout found four cuts that sent piercing pain through her as she touched them and she gasped, taking her hands away. Her ear and her neck were the worst physical injuries, but they were nowhere near as painful as the emotional and psychological ones she was about to experience.

Once again, she raised her gaze and looked around. The huts were still destroyed, the trees burned, but it was what she saw now that hurt. Nothing moved. The breeze was still, and all was quiet. Scout's eyes passed over what remained of her village, trying to not look at anything that looked like someone she might have known. She saw no sign of Alrek and his men, and she decided to try and move. She moved her leg and pain raced up it. She bit her lip, staying still for a moment. When the pain passed, she moved it again, this time ignoring the pain. She continued moving until she was able to stand on her knees. She wobbled slightly, and in trying to keep her balance her eyes fell on a figure.

The figure wasn't too far from her, and looked like a pile of dirt. Scout would have thought that if she hadn't seen the golden ring on his finger, the one her mother had put on his hand the day they were married.

Straight away all of Scout went numb, and the tears spilled over. She stood on her knees, tears falling, making no sound. She looked past the figure of her father and saw another close behind, and in her heart she knew it was her mother. Now the sounds came. It started as a low wail trying to escape her throat, but when it left her mouth it turned in a scream full of pain. Scout screamed and screamed, the tears flowing fast and hot down her face. She started rocking, falling back on her heels, still screaming for her loss. For her father who had always saved her. For her mother who always rolled her eyes when Scout turned her face up at dresses. For the people in her village that she had known her whole life, and the young ones who had known her for all of theirs. She stayed that way, slipping backwards until she was lying on the ground in the same position she had woken up in and cried.

Slowly, her screams quietened. She began to hiccup gently and she still made sobbing sounds, even though the tears had slowed. Scout stayed looking at the sky until she hiccups stopped, and slowly she turned her head, looking at the two figures that had fallen so close to her. She felt her heart break quietly, and she vowed she would avenge her people.

She lay there for a while longer, until the sound of snapping twigs alerted her. She sat up too quickly, and her head span. As she focus her eyes, her breath caught in her throat. It was another dragon. But this dragon was no ordinary dragon.

_It was a Night Fury._

Scout's broken heart pounded as she looked at the dragon. The dragon was a light shade of black with darker markings on its face and sides. The eyes of the dragon were a shocking light blue that reminded Scout of the inlet's waters. The dragon was watching her carefully, and Scout shuffled slightly to a pile of wood. The dragon's eyes never left hers, and as soon as Scout touched the block of wood the dragon emitted a growl that made her freeze. Scout sat, hand wrapped around a small block of wood as the dragon slunk down the embankment and crept quietly over to her. The dragons' nostrils twitched as she took in the smell of the girl, and still the dragon crept closer. The dragon stopped next to her father's body, and a low sound came from the dragon, a sound resembling a sigh. Scout watched the dragon, and realised the dragon must have been sent by Odin himself to reunite the young girl with her family. Scout threw away the block of wood, causing the dragon's ears to perk up. The dragon let loose a low growl and walked the rest of the way towards Scout, who closed her eyes. She told herself it would be over soon, and when it wasn't, she opened her eyes a crack. The dragon was still looking at her, but that was all.

They stared at each other, neither looking away, each storing details about the other in their memories. After a time, Scout came to realise Odin had no sent the dragon to kill her, but to protect her. That night, the dragon stayed close to Scout, turning its head all around whenever a noise picked up. Scout didn't sleep, resting against the pile of grass, zoning out unless the dragon's movements distracted her.

Scout must have felt safe enough to sleep because when she next opened her eyes it was daylight, but the dragon was gone. Moving slowly, Scout hobbled to where her family's hut used to be. It was mostly intact, though the floor creaked slightly as Scout entered. She picked up a spare bag of her fathers and began putting their last possessions in it. She found her stone, obviously not taken by the looters, and put that in her bag. She took her mother's red silk, and even though it had come from the men who had taken everything, it smelled of her. She tied it around her waist, not wanting to crush it.

She took her halberd from the door, then hesitated. She had nothing of her fathers. She looked around the room until her eyes fell on his helmet. He must have rushed out and left it. She took it and put it on.

A gush of hair and more twigs snapping came from outside, and Scout turned her good left ear to the sound. She peeks through the door and saw the dragon perched in the village centre, fish at its feet. Scout frowned and walked out slowly. As she approached, she saw features of the dragon she had not seen the night before, like the little heart-shaped mark on the dragons face. Scout neared the dragon, who nudged one of the fish towards Scout. The girl titled her head, and smiled softly when the dragon did the same. The dragon ate the fish in front of it, then waited and watched as Scout slowly cooked hers over some still warm embers. Afterwards, Scout sent off a ship with her parents on board, and the dragon lit the fire. There weren't many other bodies. After the ship had passed from their line of sight, they flew away.


	8. Chapter 8: 10 Years Later

Chapter 8: 10 Years Later

The last 10 years had changed them both. Scout had later figured out that her dragon was a female, and named her Sora. In the Timberlands the name Sora had meant songbird, and that she was, making noises at all times. The dragon hadn't changed much, perhaps grown a bit bigger, but it was Scout that had changed the most.

Her once pale skin had darkened slightly, and her blonde hair was longer than ever, and was kept in a ponytail. Her mother's silk was still wrapped around her waist, though it had lost her smell years ago. The scars on her neck had healed over time, turning a fleshy pink, and she was taller, having grown into the clothes she had taken from their hut 10 years before. But her hearing had not returned, though she had learnt to cope. The hearing in her left ear was enhanced, and Sora could hear things she couldn't, so together they made a great team.

Scout had used Sora's fire, and any material she could find to put together a make-shift saddle. Months of flying without one had made it hard to walk, and while it took Sora some convincing, they were both able to fly more comfortably. Scout had found that the stone she had taken was quite easily moulded, and she had used it to make the connecting rings on Sora's saddle, where they still glinted in the sun, reminding her of home.

Scout hadn't run into the looters since, and she had not returned home. She left the past where it was, and though it pulled her heart to have been away so long, she couldn't face going back. She hadn't cried since that day, and she doubted she would cry so much again, unless something should happen to Sora.

They had finally found an island to rest on, having flown for a few days straight. Scout had sent Sora to fetch some fish while she gathered more firewood for the fire Sora had just lit. Scout had her brown fluffy hood up around her head to block the cool sea air as she walked back to the clearing. She hadn't found any firewood on this side, so she decided to wait until Sora returned.

Scout heard one of the trees creaking unnaturally, like a heavy weight was on it. She assumed it was the strong sea wind, and walked out from the tree line. She started walking towards the fire when she heard the tree give a final creak, and a sound from a dragon landing. She whirled around, then stopped in shock. It was another Night Fury.

After all this time Scout had never seen another Night Fury. And now there was one with a rider right in front of her. Scout looked at the rider, watching as they disconnected their peg-leg from their saddle and slide off their dragon. She continued to eye them wearily as they took off their helmet and ruffled their spiky brown hair, and Scout was surprised to see it was a boy around her age. She looked back at the other dragon, still in shock.

"Umm, hi? Hello?" the boy said and Scout turned her attention back to him, looking at his green eyes.

"I'm Hiccup, chief of the village Berk." He said.

**THE END**

Thank you for reading this story. This was written as a kind of prequel to my other fan-fiction _New Dragon Rider. New Dragon Rider _takes the story from here, but moves to Hiccup's point of view. Please let me know what you think of this story and my other one (positive or negative), it makes my day to get comments on my work, and (some) negative comments will help me. Thank you reading, and for the reviews/favourites. And thank you if you read all the way to here xo


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